Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

दत्त्वा तु विप्रमुख्याय सर्वलक्षणसंयुताः । प्रीयतां च महादेवो ब्रह्मा विष्णुर्महेश्वरः

Transliteration

dattvā tu vipramukhyāya sarvalakṣaṇasaṃyutāḥ | prīyatāṃ ca mahādevo brahmā viṣṇurmaheśvaraḥ

Translation

Nachdem man sie einem vorzüglichen Brāhmaṇa geschenkt hat, ausgestattet mit allen glückverheißenden Merkmalen, möge Mahādeva zufrieden sein; ebenso Brahmā, Viṣṇu und Maheśvara.

Word by Word

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• विप्रमुख्याय: to the foremost brāhmaṇa
• विप्रमुख्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रमुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• सर्वलक्षणसंयुताः: endowed with all auspicious marks
• सर्वलक्षणसंयुताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-लक्षण-सम्-युत (प्रातिपदिक); युज् (धातु)→युत (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; वत्सिकाः (अनुक्त) इति विशेषण; समासः: सर्वलक्षणैः संयुताः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रीयताम्: may (he) be pleased
• प्रीयताम्: Kriya (Benedictive/आशीर्वाद-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः: महान् देवः

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः: महान् ईश्वरः

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopāreśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified brāhmaṇa sits as recipient while the donor offers auspicious cattle; priests recite; above, symbolic presence of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva blessing the act; the Narmadā flows nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra
• Mahādeva
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Maheśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous gifting to a worthy recipient is framed as an act that harmonizes devotion and cosmic order, invoking the pleasure of major deities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The donation is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha narrative, implying enhanced sanctity and fruit when performed in that pilgrimage environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna to a vipra-mukhya (foremost Brāhmaṇa), with items qualified as sarva-lakṣaṇa-saṃyuta, accompanied by a deity-pleasing invocation.